CuredByNature.net – All about natural cures

Don’t be too Sweet! Reverse DIABETES

Nov 042020

Diabetes is a kind of disease which depends more on the patient than any other factor in successful Diabetes management. Keeping your blood sugar levels down to normal in the same range as that of people who do not have diabetes is as good as not having diabetes.

Unfortunately there is no “Absolute cure” concept in the management of diabetes. But it makes sense to live with diabetes without any medication which is essentially equivalent to CURE.

Development of type 2 Diabetes, also known as Non insulin dependent Diabetes mellitus is a gradual process. The body initially becomes unable to produce sufficient insulin and/or the body’s cells become resistant to insulin. So the patient goes from having impaired glucose tolerance (a condition where insulin is reduced but still adequate to convert food into energy) to having diabetes.

As soon as a person is diagnosed with diabetes, he may start some kind of rigorous exercise, lose some weight, cut down his carbohydrates and discover that his glucose levels drop down to normal. But this does not mean he is cured of diabetes or is out of danger from its dreaded complications. If he gains back his weight or scales back on his exercise and diet, his blood glucose shoots up. Also the pathology of reduced insulin production and insulin resistance intensifies over a period of time. This makes room not only for a worsened diabetic profile but for all those serious complications like neuropathy, nephropathy and retinopathy.

Scope of Ayurveda treatments in diabetes management & its complications:

As World Diabetes Day is round the corner approaching let us understand the the scope of Ayurveda treatments in managing them.

Ayurveda approach will be planning required cleansing therapies along with medication to reduce or remove dependency on insulin injections and other medications. Focus would be to bring desired results and lessen diabetic complications with herbal replacements and by establishment of new HEALTHY HABITS in life like exercise/Yoga, diet, timely monitoring of the glucose levels, regular medication and frequent sittings with the doctor to analyze and tackle the problems.

Ayurveda has its mark on managing some of the diabetes complications especially:

A wide range of treatments including Sarvanga takradhara, Shashtika shali pinda sweda, Basti(medicated enema) helps in managing the above said complications.

– Diabetic Neuropathy

– Diabetic amyotrophy

– Diabetic foot

– Post stroke management

– Diabetic myonecrosis etc..

There is a saying

“Discipline is a gift that Diabetes gives to use as a tool to fight it”

Thus once diabetes has been diagnosed and the initial treatment started, there is a strong need for a planned routine and regular follow up with the doctor to keep it under control and avoid complication.

Diabetes retreat program –Treatment Duration: 7 days/ 14 days/ 21 days

For more details contact: 8884133300

www.shathayuretreat.com

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Acupuncture and Autoimmune Diseases

Acupuncture

Nov 022020

Autoimmune diseases are a collective group of disorders that plague nearly 50 million people in the United States today. When a person suffers from an autoimmune disease it means their own immune system is attacking the body and altering or destroying the tissues. Autoimmune diseases include things like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Crohn’s disease, pernicious anemia, multiple sclerosis, irritable bowel disease and Parkinson’s disease.

Conventional medicine can diagnose 100 different autoimmune conditions. Unfortunately, the treatments available to people with these disorders is not as plentiful through conventional medicine. It typically involves the use of pharmaceuticals that can have side effects that are as bad, if not worse, than the symptoms of the disease itself. And even worse, many people are told they have no options. This is where Traditional Chinese Medicine can be beneficial.

Acupuncture treatments are completely customizable. Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners don’t treat based on the Western medical diagnosis. They attack the disease based on its diagnosis in Chinese medicine. This means that they not only want to treat the symptoms, but also get to the root of the problem. This is much different from Western medicine with its one-size-fits-all type of treatments. The ability to treat each person as an individual with their own unique diagnosis is why traditional Chinese medicine is so successful.

Many factors play into an autoimmune disease. Traditional Chinese Medicine looks at the body as a whole, allowing the patient to get a more complete treatment, usually with better results. Since autoimmune diseases are thought to be a deficiency in people’s immune-system responses, TCM practitioners will work to restore and rejuvenate the factors that are vital for good immunity. These things include blood and the energetic life force known as qi (pronounced “chee”). There can also be underlying genetic factors involved in autoimmune diseases, so acupuncturists may also work on building up a patients essence or jing. Research has shown that acupuncture causes responses in nerve cells, as well as in parts of the brain. By utilizing acupuncture, those suffering from an autoimmune disease can, over time, reprogram their brains and cells to perform as intended.

The use of electroacupuncture may prove useful for people suffering from autoimmune diseases too. Electroacupuncture emits mild electrical stimulation to acupuncture needles. These light shocks trigger the body to produce hormones that suppress pain and inflammation. This helps raise endorphins circulating in the bloodstream. Endorphins are the body’s natural painkillers.

Chinese herbal formulas can also be very effective in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Chinese herbs have specific qualities that can help boost blood, qi and jing. When acupuncture and Chinese herbs are combined, the effects can be quite favorable. The herbs will actually compliment the acupuncture treatments by extending the effects of the needles. Many times this will shorten the number of treatments required, as the patient will start to see results sooner.

Many people dealing with autoimmune diseases also experience high levels of stress because of their disorder. It can be very stressful trying to lead a “normal” life with severe pain and other symptoms. Studies show acupuncture is very relaxing, and it helps reduce excess cortisol levels in the brain that contribute to chronic stress.

As autoimmune sufferers start to see improvements with acupuncture treatments and herbs, they may also be able to do things they couldn’t before, like exercise. Exercising not only improves blood flow, but it also increases immunity. Exercise also increases the amount of endorphins in the body. So just by receiving regular acupuncture treatments and herbal supplements, those suffering from autoimmune diseases may be able to lead a much more normal life with a lot less pain and suffering.

If you are dealing with some type of autoimmune disease, consider giving Traditional Chinese Medicine a chance. The outcomes may be life changing.

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BLACK NECK ! DARKENING OF SKIN AROUND NECK

Ayurvedic

Oct 262020

Dark neck and thickened skin can be embarrassing for many people. Usually, people try to use numerous creams and beauty items for skin lightening around the neck or armpit. What we need to know here is that the dark thickened skin fold is a sign of deeper insulin resistance issues than just beauty!

Clinically referred to as Acanthosis nigricans, the skin is dark, coarse and thickened with a velvety texture, symmetrically distributed to the neck, axillae, antecubital and popliteal fossae, and groin folds. It is a reactive skin alteration closely associated with obesity, insulin resistance, and hyperinsulinemia; endocrine disease; or malignancy.

Acanthosis nigricans is associated with metabolic syndrome and is primarily observed in obese and PCOS cases are caused by overproduction of hormones, primarily glucocorticoid, androgen and insulin.

Eating too many of the junk foods, particularly refined sugar and carbohydrates, may cause insulin resistance. This would result in higher levels of insulin. Many patients with acanthosis nigricans have higher insulin levels than those of the same weight without acanthosis nigricans.

Increased insulin levels in the body stimulate insulin receptors in the skin, making it develop abnormally. Reducing circulating insulin by dieting or medication can lead to an improvement in the skin issue.

Treatment for Darkening of Skin

Acanthosis nigricans is a treatable condition, however, it is difficult to achieve complete cure and disappearance of lesions. One of the is the most scientific and practical management strategy is Weight reduction.

Treatment of AN is usually unsatisfactory or frustrating. External creams are partially effective. Majorly treatments are focused on correcting the contributing factors such as obesity, hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance related PCOS.

Ayurveda prescribes use of herbal alternatives to insulin sensitizers along with therapies like Udvartana, Classical Virechana and weight management and treatment for insulin resistance. Ideally treating the root cause plays vital role here.

There has to be a lifestyle changes in diet and exercise which can correct insulin resistance. Beauty of this is once you lose weight and correct insulin resistance one can see remarkable changes in skin and it becomes lighter.

Care and Prevention

Lifestyle modifications like regular exercise, Healthy diet and reducing weight if obese.
One can use Ayurveda Herbal scrubs, Eladi choorna or massages like Udvartana which not only help in weight loss and cellulites even works great herbal scrub.
Intake of Warm water with lemon or Wheat grass juice helps in insulin resistance and further arrest progression.
As melanin has no role to play in the pigmentation so fairness creams or SPF sunblock wont work in reducing darkening.
If one has been having dark neck with overweight and family history of diabetes, its extremely important to prevent it by losing weight and opting for healthy lifestyle than any creams.

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7 MYTHS OF POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME

Ayurvedic

Oct 192020

by Aundh

October 19, 2020

Topics: Ayurveda

PCOS is a common hormonal condition that affects 10 percent of women of reproductive age. PCOS women have higher levels of male hormone androgens, and high levels of insulin, which is a hormone used to control blood sugar.

Patients with PCOS/PCOD come with lot of anxiety and wrong perception and myths. So lets clear some of their doubts from the following

Myth #1: Single symptom indicate you have PCOS

PCOS is a syndrome or a set of symptoms so that a diagnosis cannot suffice by a single sign or symptom. PCOS women will have two of the following three criteria:

Irregular periods or sometimes scanty bleeding
Excess hair growth, acne or hair loss are some of the signs due to increased levels of androgens (hormones that give “male” characteristics).
Ovaries enlarged with lots of small follicles containing immature eggs (known as polycystic ovaries) Which can be seen with ultrasound scan of pelvis

Myth #2: You Can’t Get Pregnant if You Have PCOS

This isn’t true for all cases of PCOS. A number of Ayurveda herbs and therapies can stimulate ovulation, which is a key issue for women with PCOS and infertility.

If you have PCOS and finding it harder to get pregnant, then focus on regular ovulation, Quality of ovum, endometrial lining and balanced hormones. A holistic approach.

Myth #3: All women with PCOS are at risk of ‘metabolic complications’

PCOS is associated with insulin resistance and chances of getting type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome* are high if neglected (*collection of factors such as high blood pressure and poor cholesterol levels).

Some women who do not have excess androgen and are diagnosed due to irregular menstrual cycles and polycystic ovaries may not have metabolic complications or weight gain.

Myth #4: PCOS prevents you to lose weight

There is connection between PCOS and weight gain as they have insulin resistance. Women with PCOS are more to have overweight than women without the condition.

While many women with PCOS report difficulty losing weight and experience greater susceptibility to weight gain, weight management interventions, such as diet and lifestyle change programs, have found that women lose same amount of weight with and without PCOS.

Myth #5: If You Lose Weight, You Can Get Rid of PCOS

Unfortunately, that’s not the only remedy for PCOS, but overweight and obese people may help to regulate their hormone levels by losing weight. Otherwise, therapy is intended to manage symptoms.

A wide range of ayurveda treatment options can help prevent potential problems. Taking Panchakarma Detox not only regularize hormones but also aids in weight loss.

Myth #6: You Did Something to Cause It

When the exact cause of PCOS is unknown, one thing is certain: You are not to blame. However, a variety of factors-including genetics-are generally believed to play a role.

Androgens, or male hormones, are controlling the development of male traits. PCOS women have more androgens than normal, which are able to prevent and make regular menstrual cycles difficult.

A number of women with PCOS have insulin resistance. This is most common in women who are overweight or obese, have poor diet and exercise habits, or have a family history of type 2 diabetes. Women whose mothers and sisters are more likely to be affected by this disease as well.

Myth #7: Women with PCOS don’t need to use contraception

Most of the women with PCOS may have trouble in conceiving naturally and needs medication to help them ovulate when they want to conceive. However many women with PCOS also conceive spontaneously and achieve their desired family size. Since they have irregular menstrual cycles, they cannot predict exact date of ovulation. Certainly it is harder to get pregnant with PCOS, many women still ovulate intermittently and hence it is important to still use contraception”.

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Balance Your Body – Stave off COVID-19

Acupuncture

Oct 192020

If you feel like you’re battling frequent colds, a cough that won’t quit, or just seem to be tired all the time, it may benefit you to find time for a daily walk or simple exercise routine. Doing this a few times per week can have many health benefits and help build your immune system.

Viruses such as COVID-19 take hold in our bodies when our immune systems are at their weakest points. Below are a few ways to help increase your immune function so your body can function as it’s meant to and stay balanced!

Exercise

A scientific review conducted in 2019 in the Journal of Sport and Health Science found that exercise can improve your immune response, lower illness risk, and reduce inflammation.

This study reported on immune system reactions to those who partook in moderate to vigorous physical activity lasting less than an hour. The author of the study, David Nieman, stated that “Because exercise increases blood and lymph flow as your muscles contract, it also increases the circulation of immune cells, making them roam the body at a higher rate and at higher numbers.” This shows that increased exercise helps increase your immune system function thus giving you a better chance at staying healthy.

There are many reasons that exercise is recommended when it comes to nurturing a healthy immune system. One reason is because of your body temperature; as you workout, your body temperature rises during and after exercise which helps to prevent bacteria from growing, thus helping to fight infection.

Additionally, physical activity helps to flush bacteria out of your lungs and even slows the release of stress hormones (cortisol) which is also known to hinder the immune function.

Overindulging on Alcohol

If you drink everyday, or frequently, you may notice that you are more susceptible to catching colds and drinking is shown to dramatically impair the immune system.

If you have a hard time refraining from drinking, these self-massaging acupuncture points help the body release toxins, control cravings and become more grounded.

Liver 3: Located on the top of the foot. Start in the space between the big toe and the second toe, now walk your fingers back along that depression onto the top of your foot until you run into a bone and you can’t go any further. This is Liver 3. It helps to balance the liver energy of the body, and helps reduce stress.

Large Intestine 11: Located on the lateral elbow, at the end of the elbow crease. Large Intestine 11 clears toxins from the body, as well as releasing heat. It also balances digestion and helps to regulate body temperature.

Excessive Sugar Intake

When you look at a nutrition label, what’s the first ingredient you look for? For many of us, we’ve been trained to look for the calorie count per serving, but did you know that The American Heart Association recommends that we limit our sugar intake too?

The AHA suggests that men eat less than 36 grams (9 tsp) of sugar per day and that women have no more than 24 grams (6 tsp). To add perspective, the average person eats nearly 15 teaspoons of sugar each day (that’s almost double the recommended amount)!

Why is the consumption of sugar an issue? When we consume sugar, our bodies break it down and become inflamed. This decreases our immunity because it weakens the white blood cells ability to fight off infection!

If you have a sweet tooth and want to make a sweet treat that also optimizes your immune function, try making this TCM herbal tea below:
• 4 cups water
• 3 tsp dried thyme

• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 tbsp raw honey

Add all ingredients to a pot and bring to a low boil and then simmer for around 10 minutes. Once it’s done simmering, turn on low heat, stir in honey and then pour through a strainer. Enjoy!

Immune function has never been more important. If balancing your body is now a priority to you, schedule an appointment with us so we can create an individualized acupuncture plan just for you to help keep your immune system in tip-top shape!

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007165.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/womens-health.htm

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4 Ways of Hair Fall Treatments in Ayurveda

Ayurvedic

Oct 112020

by Aundh Shathayu

October 12, 2020

Topics: Ayurveda

Increasingly, people are turning to natural hair loss remedies as they look for thinning hair. This has an obvious appeal for many hair fall sufferers. The most popular ingredients of natural hair fall treatments include Ayurveda therapies, natural packs and herbal supplements and medicines in few cases.

Without going deeply into cause of hair fall, if we take general conditions, It is becoming increasingly evident that poor nutrition and modern lifestyles can have a negative impact on health, and hair loss is no exception. Like your skin, your hair also needs nutrition from the inside out. If your diet is deficient in hair-friendly foods, or your digestion is not efficient then it definitely leads to thinning and cutting of hairs, fall from the root and finally the baldness. Start eating healthy balanced food to have a healthy and shining hair. This can be achieved by

Eating adequate amounts of natural protein.
Eating appropriate levels of useful carbohydrates.
Achieving a healthy balance of dietary fats.
Adding supplements and antioxidants in food form.

The hair fall treatments outlined here cannot provide definitive cures for all hair loss conditions, as some may be because of other health issues like PCOS, hypothyroid, menopause, post pregnancy or hormonal imbalances which has to be considered separately.

Ayurveda focuses on four basic approaches for hair fall:

Head massage with Medicated oil

Head massage with oils like Brigaraja taila, Kayyunyadi, Neelibringadi, Bramhi taila and many more oils helps to increase circulation to scalp and keeping it moist. This helps in reversing the hair fall which will be best alternative pre-wash hair conditioner Weekly oil massage for head is another simple solution to hair fall.

External Destress therapy -Shirodhara

Shirodhara, with the medicated hair oil treatment not only stimulate hair growth, but also treat stress. Arrest hair fall and nourish scalp. Hair roots can be strengthened by Brahmi taila and the massage improves blood circulation which intends hair growth.

Herbal Hair Packs

Herbal pack application along with oil massage and steam for head. Pastes for local application over scalp like Bhringpushadi lepa, Mandoor bhasma, amlaki churna, japapushpa, triphala, Aloevera, Hibiscus are used to reduce hair fall. This can be combined differently for hair fall along with grey hairs as well as dandruff.

Panchakarma Nasya

In the Intense Hair fall cases panchakarma advised is Nasya (nasal drop) – Ayurveda recommends that everybody should take nasal drops of Anu taila every year during the rainy, autumn and spring season. Along with many other benefits, it prevents hair fall and also accelerates the growth of hair. Nasya therapy nourishes hair follicles which strengthen the hair and reduce falling.

In Ayurveda, Rejuvenation -‘Rasayana Chikitsa’ is carried out for overall health benefits and age reversing process. This program focuses on the restoring complete health along with reversing hair fall and arresting greying of hairs if done properly .

Finally healthy and vibrant hair helps a lot in improvement of personality. Therefore, to stay hair in healthy state is entirely duty of person, because just like face, hair is additionally a mirror of healthy state of body. One can use Natural ways to keep healthy hair.

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What is Moxibustion and How Can it Help

Acupuncture

Oct 052020

Traditional Chinese medicine is a medical system that incorporates numerous methods for treating disease and illness. One of the tools found in the toolbox of the Traditional Chinese medicine practitioner is known as moxibustion.

This technique involves the burning of mugwort, known as “moxa”, which is an herb that facilitates healing. The purpose of moxibustion is to stimulate the flow of Qi (pronounced “chee”), strengthen the blood and maintain general health. Qi is translated as life energy.

HOW MOXIBUSTION IS APPLIED TO ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENTS

When visiting your acupuncturist during the winter months, they may use Moxibustion to warm your cold extremities, lower back or even your abdomen. Moxibustion is a form of fire heat treatment that stimulates specific acupuncture points of the body and is a great way to warm the body slowly, with lasting effects. Your acupuncturist may also recommend herbs to strengthen your immune system, balance body heat or to manage stress.

Moxibustion exerts its therapeutic effect by modulating the microbiome and intestinal mucosal immunity. It is used to great effect in tandem with acupuncture points, enhancing and maximizing the effects of the acupuncture needles. Moxa is used both directly and indirectly, depending upon the intended effects.

THE BENEFITS OF MOXIBUSTION

Moxibustion can be used for many reasons because it provides many benefits and one of the most common uses of moxibustion is to warm the body. Many people who have autoimmune diseases, low immunity and blood conditions are frequently cold and the warming properties of moxa make it a great choice for these types of conditions (usually those who have a cold or stagnant condition). The practice of Moxibustion expels cold and warms the meridians, which leads to smoother flow of blood and qi.

Moxa is also a good choice for those suffering from aches and pains. The warming properties of moxa allow it to increase blood flow by warming the blood. Increased blood flow means increased oxygenation to the tissues, muscles and tendons that are sore.

Another benefit of utilizing moxibustion is increased immunity. Studies have shown moxibustion significantly increases the white blood cell count in the body, which is the major component of the immune system. Moxa strengthens the immune system and helps re-balance autoimmune diseases.

Despite the fact that moxibustion involves the burning of mugwort, it has been shown to be very beneficial for cooling areas of inflammation, which again, relates to blood flow. Moxa improves blood flow to areas of inflammation, while promoting the natural radiation function of the skin. This also works on chronic inflammation diseases like arthritis.

As moxibustion has many benefits and can be used to treat multiple diseases and ailments, it might be a good addition to a person’s health regimen. It is recommended that only properly trained and fully licensed practitioners be used and a quick internet search can easily provide the names of those located nearby. There’s never a better time than now to start incorporating healthy living habits, ask me for more information.

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Fall Health Tips: A Perspective from Chinese Medicine

Acupuncture

Oct 052020

With the change of seasons and the arrival of cooler and shorter days, the wisdom of Chinese medicine offers us some helpful suggestions for staying healthy during this time of year.

According to Chinese medicine, keeping the lungs strong and healthy is especially important during the fall. Taking walks outside and breathing exercises strengthen the lungs. Protecting yourself from becoming chilled, particularly by wearing a scarf around the neck, is a good illness prevention measure as wind and cold are said to be “the cause of 100 diseases.” Grief is the emotion associated with the lungs, so finding ways to deal with grief such as by allowing yourself to cry, talking with a trusted person about how you feel, getting an acupuncture treatment and/or doing some self-massage and breathing exercises (here’s a great video!) can help you process and move through grief in a healthy way.

Certain types of foods and drinks have beneficial health properties for us during the fall season. In particular, there are several that are warming in nature, aiding in blood circulation and boosting immune function. Warming spices such as cinnamon, ginger, garlic, onion and scallions are especially beneficial for people who tend to become chilled easily. Try a hot Chai tea, adding some cinnamon to oatmeal, or cooking a delicious soup or dish with garlic, onions and/or scallions.

Pears are beneficial particularly when steamed or lightly cooked to relieve cough and cold symptoms. They reduce coughing and excessive mucous/phlegm production while moistening and soothing the throat. They’re also generally good as a tonic for the lungs, so they’re a great choice to eat even when you’re not experiencing any upper respiratory symptoms.

Consuming more cooked vegetables and less raw foods such as salads strengthens the digestion and overall health during this time of year.

Enjoy the season and stay healthy!

Justine Myers, Lic. Ac.

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HEEL PAIN MANAGEMENT IN AYURVEDA

Ayurvedic

Oct 032020

by Aundh

October 3, 2020

Topics: Ayurveda

‘50 year-old female patient Mrs Vandana presented to our clinic with a history of heel pain that had started 6 months ago and making her difficulty to get and walk early morning and do her routine activity. The pain was intermittent and increased with sport activities such as walking, or long standing. She felt the pain as stabbing pain at bottom of her feet that can be felt when she first stands up in the morning or during the initial steps of walking after sitting for a prolonged period. ‘

PLANTAR HEEL PAIN is the most prevalent complaint in adults with foot related pains. Patients present with severe pain at the plantar region of the heel on raising from the bed and placing the foot on the ground. Pain is severe with first steps on rising in the morning and even after the prolonged time of inactivity worsens when they walk barefoot or climb stairs or walk for a long time.

Factors that contribute to the risk of developing heel pain

Excess weight/obesity
Ill-fitting shoes
Increasing age
Patients with flat foot / high arch foot
High heeled and hard sole footwear.

How calcaneal spur is formed and what we need to look?

A calcaneal spur, is an abnormal bone outgrowth at the inferior part of the calcaneus, which is the most common site of bony spur occurrence and being common cause of heel pain.

Time of day when pain occurs, current shoe wear, type of activity level both at work and leisure, and history of trauma needs to be looked into.

How to manage Heel pain at home ?

In most cases, mild or moderate heel pain can be treated successfully with shoe padding and strapping of the foot, therapeutic orthotic insoles, stretching and physical therapy. Application of Ayurveda muscle relaxant pain oils, hot fomentation helps to reduce the intensity of the pain.

How to manage heel pain through Ayurveda ?

Vatakantaka (HEEL PAIN) as per Ayurveda is a painful condition of heel due to improper placement of foot on the ground or by walking over an irregular surface. This can be correlated to a calcaneal spur which is a calcium deposit causing a bony protrusion on the underside of the heel bone often frequently associated with plantar fasciitis, a painful inflammation of the fibrous band of connective tissue.

Initial treatment options may include padding and using therapeutic orthotic insoles
Avoidance of flat shoes and barefoot walking, limitation of high-impact physical activities.
Patients usually have a clinical response within 6 weeks of initiation of treatment,with eliminate the inflammatory process, and to reduce tension and pain on the plantar fascia
During the acute inflammatory phase, local anti-inflammatory herbal pack is applied as lepa.
For chronic conditions combination of internal medications with guggulu kalpas and along with anti-inflammatory medications, Istika sweda special kind of steam for this condition is beneficial.

To contact physician for same or for online consultations visit : www.shathayu.com

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The Important Vaccination Your Child Cannot Afford To Miss

Ayurvedic

Sep 222020

Vaccination or Immunization can be an overwhelming concept for new parents and you must know about it in detail. The process of vaccination do not only help your child by saving him/her from life-threatening diseases like tetanus, polio, and diphtheria but also prevents other children from getting it as many diseases spread from one child to another. This article consists of the details about vaccination and the vaccines that must be taken by your child in order to live a healthy and long life.

A vaccine is a biological preparation that enhances or facilitates the acquired immunity of a person against a certain diseases. The vaccine consists of dead or weakened microbe, or surface proteins or its toxin which is responsible for causing that particular disease or infection when in actual state. When this dead or weakened microbe is introduced into the body our body recognizes it as the disease-causing agent and destroys it by making the antibodies (army) against it.

So when in the future, that particular child comes in contact with the real version of that bacteria or virus our body already knows about it and kills it at the initial level, hence preventing the body from any kind of disease or agent. Over the years, there have been made many allegations against this vaccination system and blamed for because of increasing cases of autism and other diseases. However never any convincing proof has been produced to support it. That’s why still the vaccination is considered as the safest way to prevent children against many deadly diseases. The benefits of vaccination outweighs the side effects of it.

Your child will receive most of the vaccines from birth up to the age of 6 years. You must keep a record of your child’s vaccination, however, must be given a card for that. Some hospitals or doctors also keep these records but never rely on them to keep it yourself as many times doctors or hospitals are changed and hence the record can be lost.

Even today in India after so much awareness creating programs many children are found to miss their immunization. In India, even paramedics go from door to door to give some of this vaccination like that of polio, which has helped a lot more to cover an area of the people (mainly the uneducated and underprivileged) who do not take initiative for their child vaccination.

There are three main vaccines that your child should not miss at any cost.

1. OPV or Oral Polio Vaccine

Polio or Poliomyelitis is caused by Poliovirus. It is a highly infectious disease that invades the nervous system and can lead to paralysis and death even in a few hours. This explains the seriousness of this infectious condition. Children below the age of 5 years are vaccinated in order to prevent polio. OPV is the most critical vaccine in India and many programs are organized by the government to vaccinate the children door to door to administer the vaccine.

All the children below 5 years are given this vaccine in India in these programs every time the camp is organized as there is no risk of overdosing. However, with every dose the immunity enhances further against the infection, and surety with every dose increases more.

2. MMR or Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine

You can figure out from the name itself that this vaccine gives immunity against measles, mumps, and rubella or also known as German measles. This monovalent vaccine is given after the age of nine months and the second dose is repeated from 12-15 months of age. Generally, no side effects are seen of this vaccine, only 10% of children have been reported of having fever, rashes, and malaise after the first vaccination. This reaction is seen due to the presence of reagent in the vaccine which is similar to the disease-causing agent.

3. Hepatitis B vaccine

The Hepatitis B Infection has covered a large number of population worldwide and is also a leading cause of Liver cancer throughout the world. So the Hepatitis B vaccine is also known as the first anti-cancer vaccine. Hepatitis B is one of the commonest and life-threatening infections of the liver hence the vaccine for it should not be missed. This vaccine is usually given in the 2-4 shots and the first dose is given at birth and other shots should be given within the age of 6 months.

Other than these three important vaccines there are other vaccines as well which your child should receive in order to prevent certain prevailing infections and diseases

1. Rotavirus vaccine

This vaccine is given to prevent the rotavirus infection in children which is the cause of severe diarrhea in infants or young children

2. Pneumococcal vaccine

Streptococcus pneumonia is the causative agent of life-threatening conditions in infants like pneumonia, meningitis, and ear infections in children. Pneumococcal vaccine is given to provide immunity against these diseases.

3. Varicella vaccine

Chickenpox is very common among children and this vaccine provides immunity against this highly infectious condition.

4. HPV vaccine

Human papillomavirus is the very commonly affecting virus that causes mucous membranes and skin growth like warts.

Ayurvedic perspective of vaccination

After talking about the Vaccination concept let’s have a look at the Ayurvedic perspective of vaccination. Ayurveda in itself does not have an exact vaccination but there is a tonic which can help in boosting immunity when administering to the children. This tonic is known as Swarna Prashana which might be a good option to enhance immunity however it is not an alternative for vaccination.

Method for preparation

Take 1 part of ghee with two parts of honey and gold bhasam of just one needle head quantity. Honey should be at least 2 months aged and unheated and bhasam of gold should be of the best quality.

However, till now the vaccination is the only mode of prevention from various dangerous diseases and your child must not miss it. As it is very well said that the best physician is the one educating the masses regarding the prevention of the diseases rather than focusing on giving medicines for the diseases.

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Herbs & Acupressure Points for Coronavirus

Acupuncture

Sep 212020

herbs and acupuncture for coronavirus

As we learn to navigate this new world where an ever looming virus is present, it’s important to learn which ways we can help ourselves and loved ones,get through a time of illness.. Below are herbal remedies and acupressure points for self-care to help aid with symptoms of COVID-19 such as coughing, shortness of breath and fevers.

HERBS (H) & RECIPES (R)

Below are a few herbs you can pick up online or at your local Co-Op store to help with coronavirus symptoms as well as cold and flu symptoms. It’s important to keep in mind that those who also have an irritated throat should avoid eating hot or spicy foods. Alternatively, those with long-term/chronic coughs should consider limiting the amount of frozen and greasy foods that are consumed.

(H) Nan Sha Shen: Also known as American silvertop root, this root is known to reduce inflammation, vascular permeability and can help with dry cough and phlegm as found in a study conducted in 2010.

(H) Gan Cao: Gan Cao (aka licorice root) acts as an expectorant that helps to accelerate mucous secretion as found by the World Health Organization. It’s also prescribed by Chinese Medicinal Practitioners to help reduce coughing and shortness of breath.

(H) Sang Ju Wan: This formula is best used when a sore throat and cough are just starting to appear. It helps aid in symptoms such as dry cough, headaches, painful chest, fever, sore throat and watery eyes.

(R) Peppermint Tea: This herbal concoction can be made by preparing fresh peppermint (1 TBSP) and fresh reed rhizome (⅓ cup). Clean and cut each ingredient into fine pieces and then steep in boiling water for 10 minutes or until preferred taste is established. Drink this frequently to aid with symptoms of Dry Coughs.

(R) Apricot Tea: Gather 1 TBSP of crushed apricot kernel, 1 pear (cut in half with the core removed) and 2 TBSP of rock sugar. Boil these ingredients for 20 minutes in the same pot. Once done, drink the liquid solution and eat the pear. This recipe helps with Dry Cough.

ACUPRESSURE

Heavenly Pillar: This acupressure point is used to relieve stress, overexertion, burnout, sore throats and coughs. It can be found about 1.5 inches below the base of the skull and about one inch on either side of the spine. For best results, apply pressure to both sides of the spine and massage in a circular motion and up to 8 minutes. This can be done 3 times a day until the cough or other symptoms have subsided.

Triple Warmer (TW 15) balances temperature in the body, so its good for fever as well as chills. Hold this point for about three minutes on both sides. Curve your fingers, like the rounded shape of the top of a coat hanger, and place it on the back of your opposite shoulder. Rub the area until you feel the top tip of your shoulder blade. Apply firm pressure just above that, where it feels knotted or tight.

LI-11: This point is used to aid in the relief of fever and other cold symptoms. To apply pressure, bend your arm (hand to shoulder) and place your finger on the end of the crease that is on the outside of the arm. Open your arm while applying pressure to stimulate this point.

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Essential Gardening Tools for the Home Gardener

Uncategorized

Sep 152020

Written and Photographed by Mary Plantwalker

Try cooking a meal without a sharp knife and a clean cutting board, or riding a bike with a flat tire, or playing the fiddle with an unrosined bow—doing so would really defeat the purpose and make these acts of joy unenjoyable! Similarly, attempting to garden without the right tools is a set-up for struggle and frustration. In this article, you’ll get acquainted with the essential gardening tools that can do what your hands alone cannot (cut through wood, carry water, haul large loads, dig through rocky soil). You’ll also find links to some of the businesses that sell these tools, and learn how to use and care for them properly.

The Right Tool for the Job

Many of these are multipurpose gardening tools, but I have given them specific “Division of Labor” categories as you may want to zero in on where you currently need the most support in your garden. Quality tools are not cheap—it really is a waste of time and money to buy cheap tools, not to mention adding to the landfill. If you are just starting out, assess what you need most, so you can buy slowly and wisely. Think long-term.

Best Gardening Tools for Hauling

Garden Cart

Some might prefer a wheelbarrow for more narrow areas, but for the steadiness and spaciousness, I prefer using a garden cart most every time. We got ours from the Vermont Carts store 25 years ago and we still use it daily for all kinds of hauling. Our cart may be found packed with weeds, headed up to feed the chickens, full of perennials with a bucket of compost and a shovel en route to be planted, or loaded down with wood chips to mulch a garden bed. We transport rocks around in it for landscaping and use it all winter long to bring firewood into our house. We’ve had to replace some nuts and bolts over the years, but other than that, our garden cart is still in great shape, as we make sure to store it under shelter and keep it empty when not in use. Be sure to sweep your cart occasionally so dirt does not rot the wood. One piece of advice I wish someone would have told us way back: spend a little more and get the semi-pneumatic wheels as they are more durable, will last much longer, and save you time and money in the end.

Some beloved tools: the gardening cart, 5-gallon bucket, pruners, and tool pack.

5-Gallon Buckets

My theatrical earthy friends once put on a play called “The 5-Gallon Bucket Brigade” that was a spoof on how reliant we gardeners have become on the 5-gallon bucket. Really, what did folks do before these were invented?! If I am about to plant a tree, I use it to hold the dirt I’m digging out, then pour back into the hole to fill around the tree once planted, or I steep comfrey leaves in the big bucket to make compost tea. I use my bucket to carry a freshly dug plant to be transplanted in another part of the garden and then fill it with water to bring to the plants. Harvests of root medicines are placed in it before processing. Cut flowers rest there in a tiny bit of water before they are turned into bouquets. It holds the winter rye seed so that we can sow the seed by hand. I could write a novel about the life a 5-gallon bucket experiences on this land! Also mighty useful to have around are 3-gallon and 1-gallon buckets. These days you can buy them new at hardware stores, but reusing or repurposing them is more environmentally sound. Check cafes, restaurants, and bakeries for used food-grade buckets they may be discarding. Do not stack when wet, or you may not be able to pry them apart!

Tarps

Easy to handle, hardly takes up any room, back saver, weed killer—all this and more describes the terrific tarp! Skip the garden cart and wheelbarrow and go straight to the tarp if you have autumn leaves to move, or long-dead stems and/or fallen branches, or a big pile of hay mulch. And if there are some gnarly weeds you want to knock back in a small area, lay your tarp down over them for a while and watch them suffocate. Dry your tarps out between uses so they don’t become musty.

Find the best tool belt or pack for your body. Carrying some tools on your person allows for spontaneous gardening! I always carry a pocket knife, phone, pruners, and surveyors tape in this pack.

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Tool Belt

This is a personal preference kind of thing, but the main point here is—have some kind of way to haul small tools on your person. I’ve tried different tool belts, but because my hips are narrow and bony, all of them irritate me. Then I carried a bag around for a few years with my hand tools in it, but I often would leave the bag in a pile of weeds only to remember I had left it there once I had moved on to a new project! Mindfulness is a good practice here, but if you don’t want to walk back and forth more than you have to, having something attached to your body is the best way to go. Eventually for me, I found that a custom-made fanny pack was my best bet. I hardly go anywhere outside without it, as it has my pruners, pocket knife, herbal offerings, and either a pen/notepad or my phone. You never know when you might need to tend to some plant or bring in a bouquet, or make notes about things that need to be done, or take a photo of a praying mantis shedding its skin. I hang my tool pack by the front door so it is always in the same place and I can grab it easily when I go out to the garden. My friend Wheeler Munroe handcrafts leather tool belts in North Carolina that are both stunning and sturdy!

Baskets of all sizes and shapes come in handy—from seed saving to planting to harvesting!

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Peach Baskets

We call them peach baskets because I was born in Georgia and raised in South Carolina, but really what I’m talking about are 16-quart wood-slat baskets. These haul in the harvest. They hold the produce until we eat or process it. They get filled with cut flowers to make into bouquets. We fill them with small containers to walk around and collect seeds. Every peach basket we have was either a gift or from the purchase of peaches, tomatoes, or some other delicious produce, and we just stockpiled them over the years and use them literally until they wear through, which takes a long time! Do air dry them between uses so they don’t get moldy! The smaller sizes are great, too!

Best Gardening Tools for Planting

Digging Fork

Using a digging fork is my preferred method for turning beds instead of a rototiller. Some prefer starting with broadforks, but I am petite and find them too large to wield the way I can a digging fork. (Read up about broadforks or borrow one if possible because this may become one of your favorite tools. Valley Oak makes top-quality ones.) Usually, I sheet mulch and let biomass and time do the work, but if I want a place to plant sooner rather than later, I use a digging fork. With its flat, sturdy tines, I lift the soil and the roots of grass or weeds, turn them over, and then let them sit a bit before coming back to shake out and remove the weeds/grass, which frees up the soil for planting seeds or transplants. The digging fork also doubles as a great harvesting tool for edible or medicinal roots.

The hori hori. Let your tools be an extension of you!

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Hori Hori

I’ve used this tool for so long I forget that not everyone knows what a hori hori is—that it’s just not a common household word! I will be talking gardening with a friend, and of course the hori hori comes into the conversation, and then I remember to use the terms weeding knife or trowel. For light digging, this is my favorite tool. It also suffices as my favorite transplanter and sod cutter. Make sure to clean it before putting it back in its case, and it will last decades! You might be able to find a hori hori at a local garden supply store, or you can easily purchase one online, such as here and here.

Tibetan Gentian about to enter the ground with a transplanting shovel.

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Shovel

Well, I even have an opinion about the common shovel! Choose one with a plastic, metal, or fiberglass handle as the wooden-handled ones eventually wear and give splinters! Not only that, the wood rots! That is a poor trade for all the hard work you do digging. It is helpful to have different types of shovels too, like transplanting and square-headed ones.

Planting a red maple in the mulch. Fiberglass-handled shovels are more comfortable to use.

Pitchfork

Hey ho, the mighty pitchfork! Not to be confused with a digging fork, the pitchfork has long, rounded tines that curve and usually come in threes, fours, and fives. In our experience, the three-tined fork is the best for lifting and moving hay, while the five-tined fork lifts and spreads leaves and composted manure best. No other tool comes close.

Planting daffodils is a breeze with a bulb planter.

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Bulb Planter

If you have a lot of bulbs to plant, a bulb planter is worth owning! Its pre-measured length and width digs out just the right amount of soil for you to have the perfect hole to plop your bulb inside, while it holds the soil in the tube until you’re ready to fill up the hole again. Simply press the soil back out, cover the bulb, and tamp down. But don’t let the squirrels see you doing it.

Best Gardening Tools for Watering

Hose

If you buy a cheap hose, it will crack in a season or the brass fittings will leak, so you might as well go ahead and spend the money on a sturdy one—but make sure it’s not so sturdy that it’s too stiff to coil up when not in use! Some of the industrial ones can be impossible to manage for the gardener. A couple more tips for making your garden hose (which costs a pretty penny) last as long as possible is to make sure the connection pieces are not near areas where cars and lawn mowers can run over them, and, in the off season, coil hoses up and store them out of the light and off the ground.

One-touch hose nozzles are easier to use and last longer than trigger nozzles.

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Hose Nozzles

How many hose nozzles does a gardener have to go through in their lifetime? Too many! I can give some advice here but by all means if you have figured out something better, please do tell! Our most commonly used hose nozzle is the threaded brass shut-off valve that allows for determining what amount of pressure you’d like for hand watering large garden areas. For our greenhouse, nursery, and planters, we use Dramm One Touch nozzles that hold up better than other brands and don’t get stuck or jammed like the trigger nozzles. In general, though, it seems that all of these nozzle pieces are made cheaply and won’t last for more than a year or two. Someone needs to go into business making high-quality hose nozzles because this is an essential gardening tool!

Watering Can

I love my watering cans! If I have areas where dragging around a hose is too tedious to do, I pull out the watering can. I have different types for different jobs—the little metal one alternates for watering houseplants, small outdoor planters, and as a background prop for pictures! The big-mouthed plastic 2-gallon watering can is great for larger planters, transplants, and filling up the chickens’ watering bucket! I like the big mouth ones so I can easily fit a hose inside. And for the greenhouse, when we aren’t using a hose, Haws watering cans can’t be beat for their attachments and durability. Please don’t leave your watering can full of water and unattended for long, as it will become a mosquito breeder!

Best Gardening Tools for Weeding

Wheel hoeing between the rows.

Wheel Hoe

Oscillating hoes are our preferred way of weeding instead of a regular hoe as they are less back-breaking. The Swiss brand we have is called the Real (pronounced ree-all) hoe, but they no longer manufacture it. Valley Oak and the Glaser wheel hoe from Johnnys’ are both good options. My husband, Hart, has been gardening since the late 1960s and he adores his “Ree-all” hoe.

“Hoeing is an art that you have to do at the right time, like after it rains but before it gets too dry. Too wet and the soil will stick to the hoe and bog it down. Too dry and it will be too hard to cut the roots. The two most important things in wheel hoeing are to pick the right window to do it and to walk backward. You pull the wheel hoe toward you, underneath the soil, then push it up to cut off the weeds’ capillary action. Hoeing is not about outright killing the weeds but disturbing the capillary action that the weeds need to live. By walking backward, you don’t step on the weeds you just uprooted and replant them with your feet. If you hoe and then there is a thunderstorm, you will have to do it all over again. But if you get it right, you’ve done the work of many hands in a short time,” Hart, my champion gardener, says.

Weed Eater or String Trimmer

We live in a temperate rainforest and have acres to keep trimmed, so doing it all with scythes and reel lawn mowers would take an awfully long time, and for this, I sure am grateful for the use of a power tool in the garden. The weed eater is the tool that provides definition to the hard work that has gone into making garden beds, and it makes the bounty accessible. I’m a fan of battery-operated weed eaters as they are less smelly and noisy. However, they are not as powerful and they need to be recharged or “refueled” more often than fuel-operated ones. I recommend the Husqvarna or EGO trimmer.

Sickle

Small yard or smaller areas to weed? I use a sickle—a serrated one. This is the most meditative tool I own. I love edging with it or weeding around the fruit trees. See the video below for another reason to use a sickle when you can instead of a weed eater! Hand tools can give you the chance to interact with the creatures of the environment in a way power tools do not afford.

Best Gardening Tools for Pruning

Trusty Felco pruners worn on a belt

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Hand Pruners

Pruners come in all shapes and sizes. For overall use, Felco pruners are tops! I’ve had mine for a couple decades and am still sporting them. Always place them back in your holster or tool belt after each use or you can easily lose them. Clean often with soapy water and dry them out before closing. You can choose from a variety of Felcos here.

Loppers weeding out bittersweet vine

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Loppers

Garden loppers are for the places your hand pruners cannot reach or for plant material too thick to cut through with pruners. They are especially important to use for pruning fruit trees and getting out invasive vines. Here is one option.

Handsaw

The more you steward a piece of land, the more a folding handsaw will come in handy. It is light and can be carried around safely in your tool belt to saw off broken tree branches or cut saplings for staking your tomatoes or to saw down a locust tree that has sprouted in your field. Lee Valley, my favorite tool company, sells the well-made and useful silky pocketboy folding saw.

And…

A few more essential tools worth mentioning are a notepad/phone to keep track of the “to-dos,” a pocket knife, gloves, and a rake.

Maintenance Practices

Always clean your tools before storing. Washing them off with the hose or in a stream or pond (if you have one), storing them off the ground and out of the weather, and occasionally oiling and sharpening them when needed will add years of life and integrity to your precious tools!

Looking for more blog articles about medicinal herb cultivation?

Remember, we’ve got a wheelbarrow-full of herb gardening and seed starting resources on the blog. Come on over to browse, pick up our personal gardening tips, and learn about our can’t-live-without garden medicinals.

MARY PLANTWALKER (Mary Morgaine Squire) is a devotee of the plants and healing path. Steeping herself in the plant world for almost 30 years, she has also woven in yoga, meditation and prayer as acts of daily life. She is a mother, writer, avid gardener, ceremonialist and plant ambassador. In the 1990s, she earned her BA in Journalism and Sustainable Living from Fairhaven College, and has since traveled the world meeting and learning from as many plants and indigenous healers as possible. As an active earth steward, Mary is called to protect and care for Herb Mountain Farm, the incredible land she stewards in western North Carolina, while encouraging others to create sanctuary wherever they are on the planet. Mary is gifted in facilitating ceremony and enticing mindfulness into the everyday, and is passionate about welcoming people into the walk of embracing plants as allies while living in harmony with all beings. You can follow Mary's plant escapades on Instagram.

Want to take a deeper dive into medicinal herbs and their uses?

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4 Ways To Support Your Kids: Back-To-School & COVID

Acupuncture

Sep 072020

2020 has proven to be a year of trials and growth for all of us. With a new school year just around the corner, it’s important to have an open dialogue with our children about what to expect, how to stay safe and how they can express themselves even with certain restrictions.

GET THEM A MASK THEY CAN BE EXCITED ABOUT

Children don’t have the full scope-of-understanding about this virus like us adults do. They may be confused, find it frustrating that they have to cover half of their face (which is a means of self-expression) and not be able to function in a way that they’re used to.

Getting your child a mask that they enjoy may encourage their desire to wear it, thus keeping them and others around them more safe. Affordable and unique masks can be found on sites such as Etsy and can range anywhere from $5-15.

Private sellers make masks with anything from floral print, to superheroes and video game characters such as Spider Man or Fortnite.

RECESS GAMES AT A DISTANCE

Depending on your governing state and the rules that they apply when it comes to COVID-19, you may find your child becoming antsy not being able to play with their friends at recess like they used to. Here are some fun socially-distanced activities that you can incorporate so that kids can still enjoy their play time.

Fitness Relay: Set up into teams of 3 (ensuring everyone is at least 6 feet from one another). Set up cones in front of each team in a straight line to distinguish the start and finish areas. The leader will call out an exercise (jumping jacks, pushups, toe-touches, etc.) and when the leader yells “go!” The first players of each team will run to the cone and perform that exercise. Then, they run back to the starting cone and the next person goes. The first team to have all players finished, wins!

Mirror, Mirror: Players pick a partner and face each other keeping at least 6 feet of distance. One child is deemed the leader, and the others must mirror their movements. Talking and/or giving hints isn’t allowed! So pay close attention. The leader tries to come up with as many movements as possible while the others follow along. Switch leaders after 2 minutes.

MOBILE APPS AND GAMES

There are some mobile apps that can be downloaded on cell phones to help kids stay connected while social distancing. Of course, we encourage family discussions before a game is downloaded to ensure that it lines up with online safety as well as family values.

That being said, a few apps that we have found to be fun include Online Uno (a classic card game), Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp and even Pokemon Go!

ACUPRESSURE!

Even with the above suggestions, kids are likely to get stressed and hold tension in their bodies when trying to navigate this new world. If your child shows signs of headaches or stress, show them the below acupressure points so relieve some of their symptoms.

Pericardium 6 – This point is located bilaterally on the underside of the forearm, roughly three finger widths below the wrist crease, between the two tendons. PC6 is a great point to alleviate nausea from pregnancy-related issues, motion sickness, drug reactions, stomach issues, etc.. It’s also an excellent point to calm the mind and spirit.

All things considered, this new school year will be challenging and will break conventional norms. That also means it’s a great opportunity to have conversation with your children and teach them how to still have fun, socialize and spend time with their friends all while prioritizing their health and safety.

For more information like you found in this article, follow us on social media to stay up-to-date and in-the-know about how we’re handling current world issues.

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Acupressure Points to Help Depression

Acupuncture

Aug 172020

We’re confident that you’ve heard of acupuncture, but do you know where it comes from?

The study and practice of acupuncture and acupressure have been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for thousands of years and is an ancient healing technique. Acupressure and acupuncture apply the same principles, but acupressure uses pressure points instead of needles to achieve the desired results.

TCM & DEPRESSION

Today, we’re here to talk about different acupressure points that are used to reduce depression and anxiety through intentional point-placements and massage. Each of these points are ones that can be done on your own without the help of another person.

Acupressure can reduce anxiety and depression by massaging (or using an acupressure stick) the proper locations. Below, several commonly known acupressure points are listed and are known to treat depressive symptoms.

ACUPRESSURE POINTS TO REDUCE DEPRESSION

1. HEART 7 (HT-7) “SPIRIT GATE”

Location: On the crease of your inner wrist towards the ulnar (pinky finger) side. Feel for a hollow place at the base of the pisiform bone.

How does it help?: HT7 is often used to strengthen the heart and nourish qi and blood. This pressure point is also known to settle anxiety/worrisome emotions and also quiets the mind. It helps with sleep disturbances and emotional stress, releases tightness in the chest and even aids with heart palpitations.

2. NEIGUAN (PC6)

Location: Find the middle of your wrist, about two finger widths below the palm. Using your thumb and forefinger, press on this location for 2-3 minutes. Repeat on your other wrist.

How does it help?: Neiguan can be used to treat depression and anxiety.

3. CONCEPTION VESSEL 17 (REN 17) “CHEST CENTER”

Location: At the center of your chest, midway between the nipples/center of your sternum.

How does it help?: This acupressure point is also known as the ‘influential point of Qi’ (or energy) which this point helps regulate. Qi often gets stuck (or stagnant) with excess stress and imbalances in life. This point helps to relax your chest and release your diaphragm.

4. YIN TANG “HALL OF IMPRESSION”

Location: located between the eyebrows, in an area also known as the third eye.

How does it help?: This pressure point calms the spirit and takes the edge off emotional restlessness and anxiety. It’s also known to promote a deep relaxation and even helps with insomnia! It is also great at relieving headaches and helps to clear nasal congestion or a runny nose.

If you found these home-tips helpful and are ready to take the next step and try acupuncture, contact us to set up an appointment!

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Foods to Eat to Help Depression

Acupuncture

Aug 032020

Many have heard the question posed what came first, the chicken or the egg? But how does that concept apply to depression? It’s well-known that when we’re depressed, our motivation and interest in maintaining a healthy and balanced diet subsides in the same way our energy does. Harvard Medical Students positioned that same question in relation to depression; what came first, depression or a poor diet?

Thankfully, researchers have addressed this question and found that a healthy diet was indeed associated with a significantly decreased risk of developing depressive symptoms. In fact, a study published in the Journal of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine, patients were treated for two years with antioxidants or placebos. After two years, those who were treated with antioxidants had a significantly lower depression score.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

Eating healthy foods gives you a better chance to reduce your depressive symptoms than eating a diet of processed food that may be high in sugars and fats.

Additionally, it’s known that there are approximately 10 times as many bacterial cells as human cells in the body. These bacteria serve many purposes including the curation of Vitamin K, digesting the food we consume and even regulating our immune system.

This implies that maintaining a healthy gut bacteria and overall diet can improve your mood.

SO, WHAT SHOULD I EAT?

Suggested foods to eat are lots of green leafy plants (including fruits and vegetables), whole unprocessed grains, seeds & nuts, and lean proteins such as yogurt or fish. To break them down even further, take note of the following foods and their purpose (all of which fight depression):

Inflammation: Spinach, Kale, Swiss Chard, Berries, Mushrooms and Onions.
Mood Boosting & Omega 3: Walnuts, chia seeds, Fish (salmon, tuna and sardines), and even certain brands of egg or yogurt.
Oleic Acid: Avocado, cheese, pasta and meats such as chicken, beef or pork
Antioxidants: Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and blackberries are some of the highest antioxidant foods available to us. Other foods include sweet potato, oranges, and peppers.
Folic acid and alpha-lipoic acid: Tomatoes, broccoli, spinach and brussels sprouts.

WHICH FOODS SHOULD I AVOID?

Avoid foods made with added sugars or flours such as baked goods (donuts and pastries), breads, pastas and cereals. One should also minimize the consumption of animal fats, processed meats such as bacon, and even butter.

OTHER ITEMS TO CONSIDER

It’s important to remember that health starts from within. Maintaining a healthy balance of self-care, such as providing yourself with adequate sleep, hydration and physical activity is just as important as eating well.

There is an overwhelming amount of evidence that supports the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Having balanced health helps with everything from cardiovascular disease, dementia, cancer and even mental health disorders including- you guessed it – depression!

If this article has inspired you to turn a new leaf and start becoming healthier, be sure to follow our social media pages. We post other content on health, acupuncture, traditional chinese medicine and so on that can help you keep your life on track.

Don’t forget! Schedule an acupuncture appointment with us if you have any questions about depression and how traditional chinese medicine can help.

https://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/therese-borchard-sanity-break/foods-eat-every-day-beat-depression/

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/diet-and-depression-2018022213309

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Medicinal Plants: Growing Healing Herbs for the Home Garden

Uncategorized

Jul 302020

Written by Meghan Gemma with Juliet Blankespoor
Photography by Juliet Blankespoor

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Ready to start or expand your herb garden?

Here we’re introducing medicinal, edible, and cultivation profiles for three cherished healing plants: elderberry, lemon balm, and rose. You can also find a wheelbarrow-full of articles on designing, growing, and tending a home herb garden via our Medicinal Herb Gardening Hub (and you’ll find cultivation featurettes for dozens more herbs!).

Elderberry (Sambucus nigra var. canadensis)

Elderberry
(Sambucus nigra, S. nigra var. canadensis, Adoxaceae)

Elderberry is an herb gardener’s reverie. Blessed with lush foliage, creamy clusters of frothy blossoms, and heavy bunches of dark fruit that beckon birds to flit and flutter between its branches, elder captures the eye and the heart. Humans are drawn to its canopy just as readily as the birds. This herbal shrub is a rich source of immune-boosting medicine, and is deeply steeped in lore; around the world, stories abound about a healing spirit said to live within the tree. She is often called the Elder Mother, Elder Lady, or Elda Mor—and she can be appealed to on behalf of the ill.¹

Elder's Medicinal Uses

Parts used: Flowers and berries
Preparations: Syrup, tincture, infusion, decoction, mead, wine, honey, shrub, and vinegar
Herbal Actions:

Berries:
- Antiviral
- Immune tonic
- Antibacterial
- Antioxidant
- Antirheumatic
- Anticatarrhal
- Anti-inflammatory
- Diaphoretic
- Cardiovascular tonic
- Diuretic
Flowers:
- Antiviral
- Anticatarrhal
- Diaphoretic
- Antispasmodic
- Astringent
- Alterative
- Anti-inflammatory
- Diuretic
- Nervine

Elder is a traditional immune system tonic with significant antiviral properties. The berries are more potent than the flowers in this light, and work by strengthening cell membranes against viral penetration. Elderberry also increases the production of cytokines—chemical messengers that enhance communication between white blood cells and the body during an infection.² You may have read concerns regarding elderberry as a possible cause of cytokine storms. My opinion is that elder is likely safe for most people, but if you’d like to read more on the topic, I recommend this article by herbalist Paul Bergner.

Elderberry is effective against many viruses, including the common cold and a broad spectrum of influenza strains (especially when taken at the first signs of illness).

The most delicious and nourishing way to imbibe elderberry’s medicine is to prepare a rich purple syrup that combines elderberry tincture, elderberry tea, and elderberry-infused honey. For children and folks who avoid alcohol, I swap out the alcohol in the tincture for apple cider vinegar. I also add liberal quantities of cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) and ginger (Zingiber officinale). It is beyond tasty! See our video tutorial on preparing herbal honeys and syrups for more guidance.

Taken tonically, elderberry has a range of other benefits; it is anti-inflammatory for arthritic conditions, iron-rich and building to the blood, a preventative for vascular disease and atherosclerosis, and an antioxidant preventative for cancer.

Elder flowers perfect for picking

Elder flowers are gently antiviral and healing for the upper respiratory system. Rich in tannins and volatile oils, they effectively dry up excessive fluids and help mucus flow more freely from the sinuses, alleviating stuffy nose, headache, and earache. In addition, their flavonoid compounds are anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immune-stimulating.

When taken hot, a tea or tincture of elder flower can help sweat out a cold or fever, especially when combined with other diaphoretic herbs like peppermint (Mentha x piperita) and yarrow (Achillea millefolium).

Safety and Contraindications: All parts of elder (except the flowers) contain cyanogenic glycosides (CGs) that can cause varying degrees of upset stomach—nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The seeds and unripe berries are the most common culprits, but any toxicity is generally neutralized by cooking or tincturing. The leaves, bark, and roots contain progressively higher levels of CGs and are more likely to cause side effects. Once the plant has been purged from the system, there is no lasting illness.

Blackberry Elderberry Shrub

Edibility

Elderberry is an exemplary nutritive tonic food that is rich in vitamin C, minerals, and bioflavonoids. The berries are not naturally very sweet and benefit from a bit of added honey, maple syrup, or other sugar. This makes them classic for pies, cobblers, jams, syrups, homemade sodas, and meads. Try combining them with other wild berries like serviceberries (Amelanchier spp.), black cap raspberries (Rubus occidentalis), and blackberries (Rubus spp.).

Elder blossoms contain fatty acids and have an almost buttery consistency. They can be added to pancakes, banana bread, muffins, and crepes. They’re also traditional in cordials, liquors, sodas, and tea. And if a special occasion is on the horizon, you might consider looking up a recipe for elderflower champagne.

Removing elderberries from the stem

How to Grow + Gather Elderberry

In Old World Europe, elders were traditionally planted near the home or at the edge of the herb garden as a guardian and protector. In North America, Native Americans have gathered medicine from wild elders (including S. canadensis) for millennia. Given their own choice, elders will prefer a moist habitat with rich, loamy soils. To raise a lush tree or hedge, I recommend a little pampering: enrich the soil with organic matter, mulch heavily after planting to retain moisture, and water young plants frequently. Once established, they need little care. Note: elders are generally tolerant and can establish themselves in dry conditions and poor, salty, or clayey soils.

Elderberries are propagated easily from seed, and even more easily from vegetative cuttings. Follow the guidelines for taking cuttings below. (You can also order cuttings and live plants from many edible plant and permaculture nurseries.)

If you have a local stand of elders, or know someone who has planted a shrub or two, you can harvest cuttings. Be sure to gather cuttings from bushes that have tasty berries, healthy growth, and prolific fruit.

Take cuttings in late winter or very early spring, before the branches have begun to leaf out. From a living branch, take several 10- to 12-inch (25 to 30 cm) cuttings with at least two pairs of leaf nodes apiece. Make an angled cut at the “root” end, about ½ inch or so below a leaf node. At the other end, make a flat cut about ½ inch above a pair of leaf nodes. Use sharp pruners that have been sterilized with hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol.
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Apply a rooting hormone. Dust the angled ends of your cuttings with a rooting hormone. Alternately, you can try using willow (Salix spp.) tea. This will increase your success in propagating viable plants.
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Fill 1-gallon pots with a planting medium. You can use coarse sand or perlite. If you don’t have either of these on hand, regular potting soil (preferably without fertilizer) will be adequate.
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Make holes in the soil in the center of each pot using a pencil or twig and settle cuttings into the holes. Plant the cutting, burying the bottom leaf nodes about 2 inches (5 cm) below the surface of the soil. It’s fine to plant many cuttings into one large pot. Make sure to tamp the soil securely around each cutting.
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Water, and try to keep the cuttings consistently moist but not soaking wet. Place them in diffused sunlight until they begin to grow both roots and leaves. Harden them off by gradually introducing them to direct sunlight.
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When ready, transplant the cuttings that have successfully rooted in fall or early spring. Space transplants about 6 feet (1.8 m) apart. Many transplants flower and fruit in their first year, though it may take several years before you can gather a sizable harvest.

The berries ripen in mid- to late summer and should be a deep dark purple before they are plucked. You’ll likely have competition from the birds, so be sure to check your bushes regularly. The stems of the berry clusters are considered somewhat toxic, so you’ll want to remove all of the larger stems and most of the smaller ones. If a little “stemlette” or two finds its way into your medicine, don’t fret—it won’t do any harm! Berries can be used fresh for medicine making or cooking, frozen for later use, or dried, which sweetens up their flavor.

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)

Lemon Balm
(Melissa officinalis, Lamiaceae)

The patron herb of bees, lemon balm encourages a bounty of sweetness in the world—not only does it gladden the heart, but it’s traditionally planted near honeybee hives to dissuade the bees from swarming (they adore lemon balm’s aroma). I know few herbalists who are without this plant in the garden. It is a traditional nervine, digestive, and antiviral ally.

Lemon Balm's Medicinal Uses

Parts used: Leaves and flowering tops
Preparations: Infusion, tincture, vinegar, essential oil, salve, succus, pesto, and condiment

Herbal Actions:

Nervine
Carminative
Antiviral
Antidepressant
Diaphoretic

With bright green leaves that waft an uplifting lemony fragrance into the air, lemon balm is known to levitate the spirit. It is a brightening nervine remedy for melancholy, mild anxiety, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and mild depression.* With relaxing, antispasmodic, and gently sedative qualities, it’s also indicated for tension headaches, stress-related insomnia, panic attacks accompanied by heart palpitations, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and overexcitement or restlessness in children.³

I find a fragrant infusion of lemon balm to be more encouraging for downcast spirits than a tincture, but both are effective. Try blending in other gladdening herbs like rose (Rosa spp.) and tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum). For tonic use, you might consider adding replenishing nervines like milky oats (Avena sativa) and skullcap (Scutellaria spp.). Taken regularly, these herbs can strengthen and rehabilitate a stressed, strained, and saddened nervous system.

Like many members of the mint family, lemon balm extends its aid as a carminative herb and digestive remedy. Its high concentration of essential oils has an antispasmodic and calming effect on dyspepsia, gas, nervous indigestion, nausea, heartburn, and the pains and cramping associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).⁴

Lemon balm is also widely used as a topical and internal antiviral herb, especially for herpes (types 1 and 2), chickenpox, shingles, mononucleosis (mono), and sixth disease (roseola).⁵ Internally, the tincture or strong tea will be appropriate, taken regularly. Topically, a concentrated store-bought cream is highly effective. A dab of the essential oil diluted in a carrier oil is also wonderfully relieving (note that the essential oil is very expensive).

Safety and Contraindications: Lemon balm may be contraindicated for hypothyroidism (in large or consistent doses) because it inhibits the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH).⁶

*A note here on depression: Therapies to treat mental illness are highly individualized; each person and situation is unique. People typically need therapeutic treatment beyond herbalism: this might include acupuncture, talk therapy, nutrition, supplements, or pharmaceuticals. Please do not judge yourself or anyone else for needing and seeking help, natural or otherwise!

If you’re in a dark place or considering hurting yourself, please reach out right now—there are folks who want to talk to you. And we’re in this together. You are not alone! This helpline is one option: (1-800-273-TALK).

Lemon balm is delicious in herbal iced tea blends

Edibility

Lemon balm is one of my favorite nutritive kitchen herbs; its fresh and tender shoots can be added to salsas, jams, liquors, ice cream, sorbet, smoothies, pestos, finishing salts, and infused vinegars. I often chop up a handful and combine it with mint (Mentha spp.) and flower petals as a topping for tacos. Likewise, the fresh leaves can be minced and tossed into fruit salads, tabouleh, and leafy green salads. Lemon balm leaves stirred into lentils or bean dishes add a nice flavor and improve their digestibility.

The simplest way to prepare lemon balm, however, is as a summertime iced tea. It is delicious on its own or combined with herbs like calendula (Calendula officinalis), hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa), and mint. I also love Dina Falconi’s recipe for Everything Lemony Lime, which blends lemon balm, lemongrass, lemon verbena, lime zest, lime juice, sea salt, and raw honey. I make this at the height of summer when all the herbs can be gathered fresh from the garden. You can find the recipe in Dina’s exquisite book, Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook.

Dew-laden sparkling lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)

How to Grow + Gather Lemon Balm

Lemon balm has been cultivated in medicinal gardens for over 2,000 years. Native to the Mediterranean regions of south-central Europe and the Middle East, it is a sun-loving botanical that can thrive in USDA zones 3–10.

Among the easiest culinary and medicinal herbs to grow, lemon balm is most easily propagated by root division. If you know someone who already has a patch in their garden, you might promise to bring them a plate of lemon balm shortbread cookies in exchange for a division or two. For best success, see our guide to herbal root division here.

Lemon balm is also easily started from seed. Because this plant is a light-dependent germinator (LDG), the seeds should be planted right on the surface of the soil or just barely covered. Watering will gently press them into full contact with the soil. Expect germination after 7 to 14 days.

Lemon balm prefers rich soil with a bit of moisture but will also do well in dry or sandy soils. It is a bushing herbaceous perennial and can become extravagantly lush as summer unfolds. Space plants 1–2 feet (0.3–0.6 m) apart.

If you’ve heard rumors that lemon balm wantonly sows its seeds, I have to tell you the reputation is well-deserved. Many gardeners complain about its proclivity to produce offspring that will inhabit the near and far corners of your garden (though I don’t mind this myself). If you wish to thwart lemon balm’s advance, be sure to harvest the flowering tops before they set seed (but after the bees have had an opportunity to sip their nectar!).

I like to harvest lemon balm several times throughout the growing season. You can simply cut back all of the aboveground growth when the plant is looking at its verdant peak, usually right before it flowers. The leaves and stems can be dried, but I prefer to use lemon balm fresh as its aromatic oils quickly disperse. For fresh preparation suggestions, see the Edibility section above.

Rose (Rosa spp.)

Rose
(Rosa spp., Rosaceae)

As an herbalist, it took me a while to come around to rose. Growing up, my only context for its blooms were the florist-perfect, sanguine-red bouquets that emanated a cloying scent on Valentine’s Day. I had never seen an heirloom rose in the garden or buried my nose in the petals of a wild bramble. So, I held little favor for this luxuriant medicine. Years later, as a budding gardener and herbal student, I discovered—with surprise and wonder—that I love rose with all my heart.

Rose's Medicinal Uses

Parts used: Flower buds, blossoms, and hips
Preparations: Infusion (buds and flowers), decoction (hips), tincture, oil, salve, honey, syrup, elixir, rose otto essential oil, vinegar, flower essence, hydrosol, compress, poultice, and soak
Herbal Actions:

Flowers and Buds:
- Nervine
- Astringent
- Anti-inflammatory
- Cardiotonic
- Antimicrobial
- Diuretic
- Anticatarrhal
- Antianxiety
- Aphrodisiac
Rosehips:
- Blood tonic
- Nutritive tonic
- Astringent
- Antimicrobial

Rose is a deliciously nuanced medicine—it is ancient, paradoxical, and mythic. The Greek poetess Sappho aptly named it “Queen of the Flowers.” After all, wild roses have been rambling on the planet for at least 70 million years (compare that to the first fossil evidence of Homo sapiens appearing around 300,000 years ago).

With velvety, kitten-soft petals, rose bears a doctrine of signatures that suggests succor and soothing. Both the blossoms and unopened buds are a remedy for those who are experiencing grief or loss, or feeling tenderhearted or unloved. The benefits are amplified when combined with hawthorn blossoms (Crataegus spp.), lavender blooms, (Lavandula angustifolia), and/or mimosa flowers (Albizia julibrissin). Rose is also an ally for those in conflict—a tea, elixir, cordial, or essence of the blooms can temper anger and encourage resolution.

In children, rose can impart a sense of comfort and security. It calms irritability, fits of anger, and nightmares. A spritz of rosewater on the pillow right before bedtime is a soothing ritual and helpful measure toward sweet sleep.

And of course, rose is deeply aligned with romance—it is a champion for nurturing love and intimacy. A stirring aphrodisiac, rose helps to awaken the libido and thaw sexual frigidity. It can also be an aid to those experiencing impotence, especially when linked to sexual abuse or trauma.

Rosehip of Rosa rugosa

Rosehips are one of the most concentrated forms of vitamin C in the world. They are an excellent tonic for the immune system and can be eaten throughout the winter months in compotes, jams, fruit leathers, and vinegars. I find the best way to get a daily dose is to stir a handful or two into my yearly batch of elderberry syrup. I also love brewing rosehips with burdock root (Arctium minus, A. lappa) and cinnamon for a delicious and nourishing cold season tea.

A blood-building tonic, rosehips can support those who experience symptoms of blood deficiency, including fatigue, a pale complexion, numbness or tingling in the limbs, dizziness, scanty menses, and dry or lusterless skin and hair. The hips can be made into a delicious stand-alone syrup, or combined with other blood-building herbs such as schisandra berries (Schisandra chinensis), nettle leaves (Urtica dioica), and yellow dock roots (Rumex crispus).

Edibility

Rose is a food-medicine capable of inducing swoonful states and culinary enchantment. Both the petals and hips are profoundly nutritive. Roses with pink and red petals are especially high in bioflavonoids, carotenoids, and anthocyanins, and contain as many (if not more) antioxidants as green tea.⁷ To enjoy, add the petals to green salads, smoothies, fruit salads, and salsas.

In the summertime I combine the beautiful fresh flowers and flower buds with hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa) and mint (Mentha spp.) to make a cooling and refreshing herbal iced tea. The petals can likewise be added to meads and steeped in wine, brandy, or other liquors. You may wish to experiment with different roses in the kitchen; each species and cultivar will taste and smell a little bit different.

Rosehips can be prepared into delicious, vitamin-rich jams and syrups.

Safety and Contraindications: Rose is cooling and drying and can aggravate cold and dry constitutions if taken regularly.

Rose harvest

How to Grow + Gather Rose

Vegetative cuttings are the easiest way to propagate roses—I recommend taking cuttings in early to mid-summer from the new, green growing tips of the canes. This growth should be relatively hard, but not yet woody. Follow the numbered instructions for taking cuttings under How to Grow + Gather Elderberry above, except try to choose cuttings that have 3 to 5 leaf nodes apiece and are 4–8 inches (10–20 cm) in length.

You can also dig up suckers from the base of a rose bush to transplant. Make sure to cut back the aboveground parts by about half to minimize transplant shock.

In the garden, most roses do well in moist, well-drained soil. A sunny spot that has ample airflow will be ideal. In climates where fungal diseases are a concern, it’s important to water roses at the base rather than from overhead, which opens the door to fungal pathogens. Any dead or infected leaves should be promptly pruned away and cleared from the base of the plant.

Rose cultivars are heavy feeders and will appreciate regular applications of fertilizer—once in the spring and again in the fall. Compost tea, alfalfa meal, or an organic fertilizer blend for flowers are all good options. Side dressing your roses with a layer of compost is also recommended.

Wild rose varieties rarely need pruning, other than a snip here and there to keep their clambering canes in check. Cultivated roses, on the other hand, benefit greatly from pruning to form shapely hedges, encourage blooming, and increase air circulation. Take special care with heirloom and old-fashioned varieties; these should be pruned only after flowering is complete. Roses that bloom repeatedly, however, should be pruned frequently to remove weak growth and spent blossoms. For a few simple and valuable tips on pruning your rose bushes, see this short video from Peaceful Valley Farm Supply: Growing Organic Roses.

Gathering rose blossoms for medicine is a timely art. The essential oils present in the petals are most highly concentrated on the morning a rose first blooms, and sometimes the day prior. These oils deteriorate rapidly under a hot sun or drenching rain, so have your baskets ready and be prepared to consistently gather blooms until they are spent.

If you’d also like to gather rosehips, leave a generous quantity of flowers on the bush to mature into fruit. Rosehips are best frost-ripened, and are traditionally gathered throughout the fall and early winter months. Look for hips that are shining and red, and be sure to leave plenty for the birds. Most rosehips contain irritating hairs inside that surround the seeds. You’ll want to split the hips to scrape out the hairs and seed capsules. Often, it’s helpful to run fresh, ripe hips through a food mill or sieve to separate out these parts.

Please only gather flowers and hips from organic rose bushes or those that are growing wild in clean places, as roses are one of the most heavily sprayed plants in gardens and commercial farms alike. Along these lines, absolutely avoid using bouquet roses from florists as food or medicine.

Looking for more blog articles about medicinal herb cultivation?

Check out our Medicinal Herb Gardening Hub. It is brimming with articles, including:

References

Forsell, M. The Herbal Grove. New York: Villard Books, 1995.
Barak, V., Halperin, T., and Kalickman, I. “The Effect of Sambucol, a Black Elderberry-based, Natural Product, on the Production of Human Cytokines: I. Inflammatory Cytokines.” European Cytokine Network, April–June 2001.
Hoffmann, D. Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. Rochester: Inner Traditions/Bear & Co., 2003.
Romm, A. J. Botanical Medicine for Women’s Health. London: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier, 2010.
Schnitzler, P., Schumacher, A., Astani, A., and Reichling, J. “Melissa Officinalis Oil Affects Infectivity of Enveloped Herpes Viruses.” Phytomedicine, 2008.
Yarnell, E., and Abascal, K. “Botanical Medicine for Thyroid Regulation.” Alternative and Complementary Therapies, June 2006.
Vinokur, Y., Rodov, V., et al. “Rose Petal Tea as an Antioxidant-Rich Beverage: Cultivar Effects.” Journal of Food Science, 2006.

MEGHAN GEMMA is one of the Chestnut School’s primary instructors through her written lessons, and is the principal pollinator of the school’s social media community—sharing herbal and wild foods wisdom from the flowery heart of the school to an ever-wider field of herbalists, gardeners, healers, and plant lovers.

She has been in a steady relationship with the Chestnut School since 2010—as an intern and manager at the Chestnut Herb Nursery; as a plant-smitten student “back in the day” when the school’s programs were taught in the field; and later as a part the school’s woman-powered professional team. Meghan lives in the Ivy Creek watershed, just north of Asheville, North Carolina.

JULIET BLANKESPOOR founded the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine in 2007 and serves as the school’s primary instructor and Creative Director. She's been a professional plant-human matchmaker for close to three decades. Juliet caught the plant bug when she was nineteen and went on to earn a degree in Botany. She's owned just about every type of herbal business you can imagine: an herbal nursery, a medicinal products business, a clinical practice, and now, an herbal school.

These days, she channels her botanical obsession with her writing and photography in her online programs and here on her personal blog, Castanea. She's writing her first book: Cultivating Medicinal Herbs: Grow, Harvest, and Prepare Handcrafted Remedies from Your Home Garden. Juliet and her houseplants share a home with her family and herb books in Asheville, North Carolina.

Want to take a deeper dive into medicinal herbs and their uses?

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Medicinal Herb Gardening for Beginners

Uncategorized

Jul 212020

Written and Photographed by Mary Plantwalker

I love herbal medicine but I’ve never grown herbs—how do I begin an herb garden?

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Have you or someone you know been asking this question lately? Then read on for inspirational and empowering steps for growing medicinal herbs at home—we give even the brownest thumb enough fertilizer to succeed in medicinal herb gardening! We’ll help feed the roots for a DIY herb garden that will leave both you and your plants grounded. If you want more tips, see Juliet’s article on growing the herb garden of your dreams.

The Time Is Now to Start Your First Herb Garden

I’ve grown vegetables, flowers, fruit trees, berries, and ornamentals, but my favorite thing across the board is growing medicinal herbs. They are so satisfying—once you have them established they will generously give you medicine year after year after year. When you are able to fill your own apothecary, you’ll feel a sense of sovereignty that can’t be bought. Take this opportunity to get your own medicine growing now as the harvest doesn’t happen overnight! You will also be able to better apply the in-depth knowledge found in Juliet’s forthcoming book, The Healing Garden: Cultivating & Handcrafting Herbal Remedies.

In this present time of COVID-19, and the food and herb shortages we have already experienced, growing your own medicine becomes even more essential.

Mary Plantwalker gardening in her lavender bed

The Inner Garden Journey

Below are three points I highly recommend reflecting upon before beginning your herb garden. This is an exercise that takes some turning over of the soil of your mind, but the fruits are worth it—you can tread the new territory with better footing once you know that you’ve laid a solid foundation.

1) Intention. What is my intention for growing an herb garden? Why am I doing this?

Getting really clear with your intention before taking action can support you in taking the right steps for you on this gardening journey. This is true for just about everything in life, but something as earthy as gardening gives intention extra importance.

Is this herb garden for me/my family?
Am I aiming for a small business apothecary?
Am I growing herbs to sell to a wholesaler?

Or maybe there’s another intention altogether. Whatever your reasons for beginning an herb garden, know them, understand them, and let them guide the way.

2) Space. What kind of space is available to me?

Am I in a rental situation that may make it wise to use containers?
Do I have already-established beds or will I need to make them?
Will I have space to grow bigger if I choose?

Thinking through the actual ground you will have for growing your medicinal herbs will help determine which herbs you can grow, and if your intention is currently feasible. If you are in a tight situation and do not have land to spread out your desires, 7 Medicinal Herbs for Urban Gardeners and Growing Medicinal Herbs in Containers are two nifty articles to explore.

3) Energy. Knowing your energy level in combination with the time and resources you have can give you a realistic compass for planning your herb garden. And remember, inspiration has a way of fueling energy. Evaluating and then prioritizing my energy has made it possible for me to materialize many dreams! Starting and maintaining a medicinal herb garden takes effort, so be real with yourself.

Am I going to be doing this alone, or do I have help?
What kind of time commitment am I willing to make to this herb garden?
Do I have or need a lot of money to begin or can I get resourceful with the materials around me?

You may like to pick just a handful of herbs that really fits your needs. For example: Are there particular health issues you’d like to address? Or would you like to make an immune boosting garden or perhaps an aromatic tea garden? Chestnut’s Top Ten Medicinal Herbs for the Garden can help guide the way for choosing some tried and true medicinal herbs.

Our dream seeds can only germinate and thrive when we have adequate energy to tend the seeds once they have sprouted from the ground. It may be better to start slow and grow than to begin too big for your britches. The aim is to stay inspired and find joy in this blessed opportunity!

Echinacea in bloom—leave enough space around your root medicines so you can harvest them

Herb Garden Layout

Your medicinal herb garden design can be a combination of indoor and outdoor herb garden containers and planters, window boxes, and garden space, or just one of these. I love having multiple herb garden designs as they bring texture, beauty, and different settings for medicine in various places throughout my homestead. I have a spiral garden, raised beds, herb containers, medicinal houseplants, rows and squares and triangle plots, and more. Get creative!

Visuals

Perhaps you are a visual person and drawing a map of what you want your medicinal herb garden to look like will help with the layout process. Or if you are a list maker, write down the things you will need to do so that you are able to best prioritize them. Flipping through pages of inspirational gardening books or surfing the internet for medicinal herb garden images may be a fun way to mine ideas. Another tip is to find an herbal medicine gardener you admire in your area and volunteer with them so you can see firsthand what resonates for you and learn straight from the source.

A double-dug and mulched triangle bed to best use the available space

Soil

Once you have determined exactly where your garden will be, observe the soil. Is it already a welcoming place where plants want to grow? If not, and you are completely new to gardening, I recommend checking out The Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening by the Rodale Institute to answer questions that arise—I have referred to this book many times for guidance. Herbs are not as picky as vegetables as far as soil type goes because most herbal medicines evolved wild, and in uncultivated soils, so that is encouraging!

Maybe you need to buy soil for containers. See if there are any organic compost suppliers in your area or buy organic potting mix from a local nursery. It is just as important for your medicine to begin in pesticide/herbicide-free soil as your vegetables!

Borage grows best in full sun to partial shade

Light and Height

How much light will your window herb garden or patch of land receive? Lots of sun? A little? Is it mostly shade? Observe how many hours of sun each day your area gets and learn which plants will do well with that amount of light. There are many plants that will grow in shade or sun, but if a sun-loving plant is put in the shade (or vice versa), it won’t be able to reach its potential or yield its most potent medicine.

If the land or windows available to you are north-facing or surrounded by trees, you can find dozens of medicinal plants that grow in shade. Fortunately, some of our most potent medicines come from the woods, so you could focus on growing forest botanicals.

Research how tall (or small) each herb will be when grown, and if it spreads, before you plant it in your garden. This will prevent overcrowding or having big gaps in your garden beds. It is also important to think ahead to how they’ll grow next to one another. For instance, you wouldn’t want to sandwich spilanthes (Acmella oleracea) in between valerian (Valerianella officinalis) and motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) because the spilanthes would not get enough sun, as the other two herbs mentioned grow much taller and would cast too much shade. On the flip side, you can use tall herbs to shade low-growing ones if needed.

Fennel likes to be alone

Companion Plants

A real compassionate herb gardener will consider giving their plant babies some friends. The definition of companion planting is the close planting of different plants that enhance each other’s growth and/or protect them from pests. There is a whole fascinating study of companion planting, and I encourage you to experiment on your own, but I will share about a few herbal friends (and foes).

Many vegetables grow well with herbs, but as far as herbs loving herbs are concerned—coriander (Coriandrum sativum), aka cilantro, and anise (Pimpinella animus) are good buddies.¹ Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) planted with roses (Rosa spp.) help repel Japanese beetles and reduce black spot. Basil (Ocimum basilica) is scared of rue (Ruta graveolens), but roses appreciate hanging out with rue! And fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is allelopathic (a germination or growth inhibitor) so be mindful where you decide to plant that!²

Chamomile is easy to grow and a meditation to harvest

Harvesting Herbal Medicine

Some of your herbal medicines will need harvesting once a season; others can be harvested all season long, while still other herbs may take a few years until you can harvest their medicine. Remember to take this into consideration when designing your garden layout. For example, place regularly harvested herbs like calendula (Calendula officinalis) and lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) closer to the path of your home, and plants like echinacea (Echinacea purpurea) and astragalus (Astragalus propinquus) in a less frequented or disturbed area as they will only need harvesting every couple years.

Echinacea, astragalus, elecampane (Inula helenium), licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), and ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) are some popular herbs whose roots carry the most medicine rather than their above-ground parts. When planting them, make sure to give plenty of space to be able to dig those roots out in the future without disturbing other plants in the process. I learned this the hard way. The first time I planted echinacea, I had yarrow growing all around it, hugging it close. I couldn’t get to the roots of the echinacea without sacrificing some of my yarrow plants! In the end it turned out OK, as I just dug up the yarrow too and shared it with friends. Hindsight is 20/20 and so I’m sharing mine with you so (hopefully) you don’t have to make the same mistakes!

Look for organic herb starts at the farmer's market or your local nursery

Digging In: Planting Your Medicinal Herb Garden

In general, medicinal herbs can do well in a wide range of soils, and rarely need much fertilizer. In fact, some people say that the rockier and less fertile the soil is, the more potent and resilient a medicine you will harvest. That doesn’t apply to every herb, but I have found it to be true with yarrow (Achillea millefolium), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), rosemary (Rosmarinus officianalis), and St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) as well as some others. The best way to start your first medicinal herb garden is to dig right in without too much hemming or hawing, and just grow!

In the Zone

Know your growing zone (which is based upon the average annual minimum wintertime temperature in your area), so you don’t make the mistake of trying to grow medicinal plants or trees that just aren’t hardy in your region. In the mountains of western North Carolina, we are in Zone 6, so I can’t grow the life-giving Moringa tree (Moringa oleifera) outside for the life of me.

Start easy herb seeds a few weeks before the last frost

Herb Seeds or Transplants?

I would encourage a first-time gardener to begin with mostly transplants instead of trying to start herbs from seed. You can dig right into the soil this way instead of getting discouraged since your seeds didn’t germinate. Starting from seed can be tricky with a lot of medicinal herbs, and Juliet’s Guidelines to Growing Medicinal Herbs from Seed is a great resource if you are determined to use seeds. When transplanting medicinal herbs, whether ones you bought at a nursery or market or received from divisions from a friend’s garden, you can feel the satisfaction from seeing the plant immediately in your new garden, which will give you the confidence to keep on growing.

There are exceptions to everything, of course, and in this case some medicinal herbs are fairly easy to start from seed, including calendula, holy basil (Ocimum sanctum), fennel, California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), and borage (Borago officinalis). Once you have a garden bed or container prepped, direct sow the seeds after the last frost date. Poppies will germinate even better if you sow them in fall, as they like to go through the cold of winter.

Thyme loves growing between rocks

Annual Herbs vs. Perennial Herbs

Another question I hear is: “Do I focus on annuals or perennials?” Annuals die back every year and perennials return year after year. Some annuals self-sow, meaning the plant will die but it will first make seeds that germinate the following year to return the medicine to your garden. And some perennials are longer lived than others—like thyme (Thymus vulgaris), who is a short-lived perennial, while peppermint (Mentha x piperita), on the other hand, can live forever. The peppermint that’s in my garden is from a patch that I found way up in an old clearing of our cove where a homestead stood in the 1800s!

Depending on where you live on the globe, some herbs may be perennials to you but annuals to another. If you live in a temperate zone, I recommend choosing three-fourths perennials (or self-sowing annuals) to one-fourths annuals, so that your garden comes back year after year and you’re not always starting from scratch with your plantings. Culinary medicinals like cilantro and fennel are annuals/biennials, yet I’ve not had to plant them in years as they keep self-sowing and making their continual patch. Some other medicinal annuals that self-sow are anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum), holy basil, chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), and sweet Annie (Artemisia annua).

Calendula harvest

Best Medicinal Herbs to Grow for Beginners

From my experience in gardening over three decades, eight easy medicinal herbs to grow and use in both the Northwest and the Southeast of North America are anise hyssop, borage, calendula, catnip (Nepeta cataria), chamomile, holy basil, lemon balm, and oregano (Origanum vulgare). They are foundational plants that cover a lot of medicinal territory without the prerequisite of prior experience. These dear eight allies empower you to branch out further in time, as they are easy to master growing.

Here’s a little snapshot of what they need and can offer:

Anise Hyssop

Easy to germinate from seed. Plant out after last frost date. Loves sun. Gets kids excited about herbs and herbal tea. Ally for your digestion. Pretty purple flowers. Annual that self-sows. See this article for a feature on how to grow anise hyssop in containers.
Borage

Direct sow after last frost date. Loves sun. Flowers edible, gorgeous, and taste like cucumber. Ally for purifying the blood. Annual that self-sows.
Calendula

Easy to germinate from seed. Plant out after last frost date. Loves sun! Adds orange cheer. Ally for your skin and lymph. One seed packet can give you dozens of plants. Annual that self-sows a bit, but save the seed. Read more about growing and using calendula here.
Catnip

Ask your gardener friend for a volunteer plant start. Likes morning sun better than afternoon, and well-fertilized beds. Great edging herb with musky scent. Ally for reducing fevers. Friend of babies, adults, and cats. Perennial.
Chamomile

Start seeds a month before last frost date or buy starts. Plant in full sun. Baby daisy flowers soothe upset tummies. Ally for a good night’s sleep. Feathery green foliage. Annual that self-sows a bit, but save the seed.
Holy Basil, aka Tulsi

Direct sow seed after last frost date. Loves sun and can take a little shade. Ally for restoring balance, sacred Ayurvedic herb. The temperate variety is the easy one to grow. Annual that self-sows. You can read up on growing holy basil in this article.
Lemon Balm

Ask your catnip gardener friend for a division. Prefers morning sun more than afternoon. Refreshing lemon taste. Ally for a healthy heart and a happy mind. Perennial that makes hearty patches.
Oregano

Get a start from a plant whose leaves you’ve tasted and are full of flavor! Dry, sun lover. Culinary herb extraordinaire. Ally for viral and fungal protection. Can live for generations.

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For more ideas of who to plant, check out The Top 10 Medicinal Herbs for the Garden and click here for an incredible list of medicinal seed suppliers and herbal nurseries.

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A Word to the Wise

I can’t let this article end without mentioning that the mints—although beloved medicinal herbs—can easily take over your garden, so plant them in containers before you regret having given them free range. Same goes for stinging nettles (Urtica dioca), who can get out of control. In one year, one plant spread in our garden to roughly a 70 square foot area, as well as jumped the creek.

Mary Plantwalker gardening

Your Healing Herb Garden

Now you know how to make your first medicinal herb garden! The process of doing it is a healing journey in itself. In a world that is crying out for more sustainable practices, growing your own medicine is a revolutionary act. May you be empowered to grow an herb garden as an offering to the change we seek on this dear planet. Green Blessings!

References

1. Boechmann C. “Companion Planting with Herbs,” The Old Farmer’s Almanac. https://www.almanac.com/content/companion-planting-herbs, accessed November 17, 2019.

2. Farm Homestead, “Companion Planting Chart for Herbs.” https://farmhomestead.com/gardening-methods/companion-planting-chart-herbs/.

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Traveling the Energetic Highway: What Are Meridians?

Acupuncture

Jul 202020

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a system that seems quite foreign to many in the Western world. However, this medical system has been around for over 3,500 years, in comparison to the Western medical system, which has been around since the 19^th century. One of the concepts of TCM is that of the meridian or energetic pathways. This article will explore this concept a little more deeply.

What is a meridian? This is something that every acupuncture student asks when they begin their training. The simplest definition is that a meridian is an energetic highway in the human body. Meridians allow for the flow of energy, known as Qi (pronounced “chee”), to circulate throughout the body. Meridians exist in corresponding pairs and each meridian has multiple acupuncture points along the pathway. While it is tempting to think of meridians in the body the same way we think of the circulatory system, this would be incorrect. According to TCM, the meridian pathways are responsible for the “distribution” of the substances throughout the body, but physically, meridians have yet to be identified. Therefore, it is more logical to view the meridian system as an energetic distribution network.

All together there are fourteen main meridians throughout the body. One that runs up the center of the body on the front, another that runs along the spine and the other 12 run from head to toe along the rest of the body. Each limb is traversed by six channels, three that are considered yin in nature and three that are considered yang in nature. Yin channels are located on the inside surfaces and the yang channels are located on the outside surfaces. Each meridian is a yin yang pair, meaning that each yin organ (lung, heart, kidney, liver, spleen) is paired with its corresponding yang organ (large intestine, stomach, small intestine, bladder, gallbladder). In every living thing, there is yin and yang. Yin corresponds to water, darkness and cold, while yang corresponds to fire, daylight and heat. For the body to function properly, there must be balance between the yin and yang.

In addition to the main meridians, there are other meridians called “Extraordinary” meridians that are not associated with the major organ systems. These meridians have very specific functions. They act as reservoirs for Qi and blood. They circulate “substances” around the body, as they have a strong connection to the kidneys. They help circulate Wei Qi, which acts as the immune system. And they provide connections between the 12 regular channels.

When the Qi flows freely, the body remains healthy. However, due to outside causes like stress, the body’s meridians can become clogged or stagnant. When a blockage occurs along the meridians, illness can take hold.

Acupuncture is a wonderful way to unclog the meridians. Acupuncture points, herbal formulas, exercise and proper dietary habits all work in conjunction to keep the body aligned and functioning properly. To learn more, give us a call, we’d love to help!

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The State of Acupuncture Together: A Note from Justine

Acupuncture

Jul 122020

On a near daily basis while working I am asked by patients if our clinic is doing okay and if we will be able to continue offering our services for the long run. Let me say that I truly appreciate and understand these concerns and the caring nature of those who have asked. I feel the same way about some of my own favorite local small businesses. The pandemic has taken a terrible toll on some of our most beloved local treasures and it is tragic that some have had to shutter their doors for good.

I want to be clear in stating that I have no intentions of closing for good. I’m dedicated and devoted to this work, so I’m going to do my damned best to continue doing this job, even if it means things look different for awhile. I don’t know when the pandemic will end, but my goal is to continue working through it to the best of my ability, with all the difficult limitations I’m facing (namely: 50% reduced capacity for treatments per hour and my limited ability to work in the office because I am a parent of 2 young children with very limited childcare). This is a long-term career that I am passionate about, and there’s really nothing else I would rather do. I opened Acupuncture Together in 2008 and I really want to see it continue on for much longer than 12 years.

Despite being determined, this time has been extremely challenging. I would lie if I said I was just sitting home relaxing from the day we closed on 3/13 until 6/9 when we reopened. Having to suddenly close down the office but still being responsible for covering ongoing business expenses, knowing patients who depend on acupuncture were unable to receive it and not knowing when or how we could reopen was extremely difficult. The time and labor required to plan to reopen was enormous. I spent hours upon hours scouring the CDC website so that I could write a safety manual, I spent hours shopping to procure cleaning products and PPE, recliner covers, a plexiglass stand at the front desk and other necessary items and I spent hours in the office moving furniture around, cleaning and reorganizing and training staff so that we would be as ready as we could be upon reopening.

Now here we are on the other side of that closure. We’ve been open since June 9th, and while I am truly grateful to be back at work, we continue to experience challenges. For the past month we have only been providing about 25-30% of the number of treatments that we were providing before the pandemic, yet we do have the capacity to provide significantly more treatments than that amount, even with our social distancing measures in place. I recognize that for many people the idea of going to a community acupuncture clinic may not feel safe even with all the safety measures, and/or perhaps it is too great an expense for those who have lost work recently. I certainly understand that everything is different now and that people’s comfort levels vary. After all, staying home is the safest choice.

Unfortunately because we are not providing many treatments anymore, we no longer have desk staff. I have really enjoyed working with them and I am very sad that we can no longer work together. I know they were all extremely disappointed to not be able to continue working and I know many of you miss being greeted by them when you arrive in the office. In addition, one of our acupuncturists, Eric, has been offered and accepted a position at a physician’s office closer to his home, so he will be leaving our practice at the end of this week to transition to his new job. Eric has been with us since 2018 and I know many patients have had wonderful treatments with him, so this is certainly another loss.

Despite these losses I am hopeful and positive about the future of Acupuncture Together. Andrew and I will continue offering you acupuncture (and if you haven’t seen Andrew yet, I’d urge you to make an appointment with him – he’s fantastic!). Although so many things are different now – limited hours and access, a smaller staff and all the necessary Covid-19 safety measures in place – I promise to persevere, and I also appreciate your understanding of all of the challenges we are going through.

This post was written by Justine Myers, Lic. Ac. & Clinic Owner and Director/Manager of Acupuncture Together

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Opioid Addiction: What Is It and Why Is It Prevalent Today

Acupuncture

Jul 062020

Opioids. A word all too common to today’s society. Since the late 1990s, the number of opioid-related deaths has increased dramatically, having taken the lives of nearly 64,000 Americans each year.

The opioid epidemic is considered to be the deadliest crisis in United States history and overdoses have also become the leading cause-of-death in people under the age of 50 in the United States.

OPIOID HISTORY

There are many theories regarding the opioid epidemic and how we got to this point. One thing is for certain is that it began in the 1990s and it started in the medical pharmaceutical industry.

During this period of time, medical doctors were being pressured to treat chronic pain more aggressively. In response to this pressure, doctors began prescribing long-term use of opioids so that patients could better deal with their pain. At the same time that this was happening, pharmaceutical companies were touting opioids as non-addictive and not harmful.

Doctors were prescribing drugs at higher rates and according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), by 2015, there were enough pills being prescribed to medicate every American daily for three weeks straight.

ADDICTIVE NATURE

There are many who may not know just how addictive opioids can be. Studies have shown that patients who take the medications for as little as a week have a higher chance of developing an addiction.

It’s a common occurrence for those who have previously been prescribed opioids to begin misusing them. Oftentimes, if their supply ran out or their prescription expired, getting medication from friends, family or buying them illegally was how people gathered them.

This behavior led to the medications being harder to obtain and people turning to black market forms of the drugs or using illegal drugs like heroin, to help battle their chronic pain.

USE OF OPIOIDS

Opioids are used to relieve pain because they lower the number of pain signals the body sends to the brain. They also change how the body responds to the pain. Opioids include codeine, fentanyl, morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, hydromorphone and tramadol.

They tend to be safe when taken as prescribed, but since they are highly addictive, they can be easily misused and people don’t even realize they have an addiction.

This type of medicine alters the brain by creating artificial endorphins, which make you feel good. Overuse of them can cause the brain to actually stop making natural endorphins if opioids are used too frequently and at high dosages. Thus, the body becomes dependent on the synthetic drug and builds up a tolerance, which requires more and more of the drug to achieve the same level of pain relief.

ACUPUNCTURE AND OPIOIDS

Unfortunately, it seems this epidemic is not going away anytime soon. As doctors start to crack down on the prescriptions they are handing out, more and more people are seeking out other forms of pain-relief and that’s where Acupuncture comes into play!

The stimulation of acupuncture needles improves blood circulation and helps you heal naturally. Undergoing treatment from Traditional Chinese Medicinal practices can also help your body begin producing natural chemicals that are used as painkillers, thus relieving chronic pain without the addiction.

Acupuncture is believed to rebalance energy and qi (the body’s life force) in order to alleviate pain and boost overall health from the inside out!

While there are numerous ways to treat opioid addiction, the fact remains the crisis is one that will be dealt with for generations to come, both physically and financially. If you have additional questions about opioid addiction and how you may benefit from acupuncture treatments, reach out to us and schedule an appointment!

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Older Entries

Scope of Ayurveda treatments in diabetes management & its complications:

Treatment for Darkening of Skin

Care and Prevention

PCOS is a common hormonal condition that affects 10 percent of women of reproductive age. PCOS women have higher levels of male hormone androgens, and high levels of insulin, which is a hormone used to control blood sugar.

Patients with PCOS/PCOD come with lot of anxiety and wrong perception and myths. So lets clear some of their doubts from the following

Myth #1: Single symptom indicate you have PCOS

Myth #2: You Can’t Get Pregnant if You Have PCOS

Myth #3: All women with PCOS are at risk of ‘metabolic complications’

Myth #4: PCOS prevents you to lose weight

Myth #5: If You Lose Weight, You Can Get Rid of PCOS

Myth #6: You Did Something to Cause It

Myth #7: Women with PCOS don’t need to use contraception

Exercise

Overindulging on Alcohol

Excessive Sugar Intake

Head massage with Medicated oil

External Destress therapy -Shirodhara

Herbal Hair Packs

Panchakarma Nasya

HOW MOXIBUSTION IS APPLIED TO ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENTS

THE BENEFITS OF MOXIBUSTION

Factors that contribute to the risk of developing heel pain

How calcaneal spur is formed and what we need to look?

How to manage Heel pain at home ?

How to manage heel pain through Ayurveda ?

There are three main vaccines that your child should not miss at any cost.

1. OPV or Oral Polio Vaccine

2. MMR or Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine

3. Hepatitis B vaccine

1. Rotavirus vaccine

2. Pneumococcal vaccine

3. Varicella vaccine

4. HPV vaccine

Ayurvedic perspective of vaccination

Method for preparation

HERBS (H) & RECIPES (R)

ACUPRESSURE

Written and Photographed by Mary Plantwalker

The Right Tool for the Job

Best Gardening Tools for Hauling

Garden Cart

5-Gallon Buckets

Tarps

- Tool Belt

- Peach Baskets

Best Gardening Tools for Planting

Digging Fork

- Hori Hori

- Shovel

Pitchfork

- Bulb Planter

Best Gardening Tools for Watering

Hose

- Hose Nozzles

Watering Can

Best Gardening Tools for Weeding

Wheel Hoe

Weed Eater or String Trimmer

Sickle

Best Gardening Tools for Pruning

- Hand Pruners

- Loppers

Handsaw

And…

Maintenance Practices

Want to take a deeper dive into medicinal herbs and their uses?

Pursue Your Dreams!

Get 100 pages of herbal resources with our Budding Herbalist Guide!

GET THEM A MASK THEY CAN BE EXCITED ABOUT

RECESS GAMES AT A DISTANCE

MOBILE APPS AND GAMES

ACUPRESSURE!

TCM & DEPRESSION

ACUPRESSURE POINTS TO REDUCE DEPRESSION

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

SO, WHAT SHOULD I EAT?

WHICH FOODS SHOULD I AVOID?

OTHER ITEMS TO CONSIDER

Written by Meghan Gemma with Juliet BlankespoorPhotography by Juliet Blankespoor

-Ready to start or expand your herb garden?

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Tool Belt

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Peach Baskets

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Hori Hori

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Shovel

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Bulb Planter

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Hose Nozzles

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Hand Pruners

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Loppers

Written by Meghan Gemma with Juliet Blankespoor
Photography by Juliet Blankespoor

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Ready to start or expand your herb garden?

Elderberry
(Sambucus nigra, S. nigra var. canadensis, Adoxaceae)

Lemon Balm
(Melissa officinalis, Lamiaceae)

Rose
(Rosa spp., Rosaceae)

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A Word to the Wise